The History of Wrestling in India: From Malla-yuddha to Modern Kushti

Wrestling in India did not begin with kushti — it arrived at kushti. The sport practised in akharas today is the product of a long fusion of traditions, stretching back to ancient combat wrestling and shaped further by centuries of royal patronage, regional variation, and cultural exchange.

Malla-yuddha: the ancient root

Long before the word "kushti" was in use, Indian texts described malla-yuddha — a combat wrestling tradition referenced in ancient Indian literature and epics. Malla-yuddha was a broader, more combative style than modern kushti, and its practitioners, known as mallas, held a recognised place in the martial culture of the period. Much of what later became kushti's foundation — grappling, throws, ground control — traces its lineage back to this older tradition.

The Mughal-era fusion

Kushti's modern identity took shape during the Mughal period, when Persian koshti pahlevani wrestling arrived in India and blended with the native malla-yuddha tradition. This fusion produced a distinct sport with its own vocabulary, training system and etiquette — the akhara-based, mitti-fought wrestling that continues today. The word "pehlwani" itself reflects this Persian influence, while much of the sport's ritual and structure remained rooted in Indian tradition.

Royal patronage and the rise of the akhara

Through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, wrestling enjoyed strong patronage from royal courts and princely states across India. Rulers sponsored akharas, supported wrestlers financially, and used dangals as displays of both physical prowess and cultural prestige. Kolhapur's wrestling tradition, for instance, owes much of its institutional strength to the patronage of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries — a pattern repeated, in different forms, across Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The golden age of the early twentieth century

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are often described as a golden age for Indian wrestling. This period produced wrestlers of genuine international reputation, most famously the Great Gama, who competed against European champions at a time when very few Indian athletes had that level of global exposure. Titles like Rustam-e-Hind emerged from this era and remain among the sport's most prestigious honours.

From akhara to Olympic mat

The twentieth century also saw Indian wrestling begin its transition toward international, mat-based freestyle and Greco-Roman competition. Rather than replacing kushti, this created a dual pathway: akharas across Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh continued producing mitti-trained wrestlers, many of whom went on to represent India in Olympic and international freestyle wrestling — carrying the physical foundation and discipline of traditional training into a modern competitive format.

A living tradition, not a museum piece

What makes Indian wrestling's history distinctive is that it never fully separated from its roots. The dangal circuit remains active across Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka. Titles like Maharashtra Kesari and Hind Kesari are still contested annually. And the akhara system that trained the Great Gama's generation is, in adapted form, the same system training wrestlers today.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between malla-yuddha and kushti?
Malla-yuddha is the older, ancient Indian combat wrestling tradition; kushti is the later form that developed from a fusion of malla-yuddha with Persian koshti pahlevani during the Mughal era.

When did kushti reach its peak popularity?
The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are widely regarded as a golden age, producing internationally recognised wrestlers like the Great Gama.

Is kushti older than freestyle wrestling in India?
Yes — kushti and its predecessor traditions predate the arrival of modern Olympic-style freestyle wrestling in India by centuries.